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Author: David Bodapati
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Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel decide not to extend contract beyond 2020
Maranello, 12 May 2020: Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow and Sebastian Vettel have jointly decided not to extend the current contract covering Sebastian’s services as a driver with the team, beyond its current expiry date of the end of the 2020 Formula 1 season.
Mattia Binotto, Managing Director Gestione Sportiva and Team Principal
“This is a decision taken jointly by ourselves and Sebastian, one which both parties feel is for the best. It was not an easy decision to reach, given Sebastian’s worth as a driver and as a person. There was no specific reason that led to this decision, apart from the common and amicable belief that the time had come to go our separate ways in order to reach our respective objectives.
Sebastian is already part of the Scuderia’s history, with his 14 Grands Prix wins making him the third most successful driver for the team, while he is also the one who has scored the most points with us. In our five years together, he has finished in the top three of the Drivers’ Championship three times, making a significant contribution to the team’s constant presence in the top three of the Constructors’ classification.
Ferrari Logo “On behalf of everyone at Ferrari, I want to thank Sebastian for his great professionalism and the human qualities he has displayed over these five years, during which we shared so many great moments. We have not yet managed to win a world title together, which would be a fifth for him, but we believe that we can still get a lot out of this unusual 2020 season.”
Sebastian Vettel, #5
“My relationship with Scuderia Ferrari will finish at the end of 2020. In order to get the best possible results in this sport, it’s vital for all parties to work in perfect harmony. The team and I have realised that there is no longer a common desire to stay together beyond the end of this season. Financial matters have played no part in this joint decision. That’s not the way I think when it comes to making certain choices and it never will be.
What’s been happening in these past few months has led many of us to reflect on what are our real priorities in life. One needs to use one’s imagination and to adopt a new approach to a situation that has changed. I myself will take the time I need to reflect on what really matters when it comes to my future.
Scuderia Ferrari occupies a special place in Formula 1 and I hope it gets all the success it deserves. Finally, I want to thank the whole Ferrari family and above all its “tifosi” all around the world, for the support they have given me over the years. My immediate goal is to finish my long stint with Ferrari, in the hope of sharing some more beautiful moments together, to add to all those we have enjoyed so far.
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FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship goes digital; Whangarei rally from May 8
Chennai, 6 May 2020: The FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship will go digital this weekend (May 8-10) with the online running of the International Rally of Whangarei that can be contested by any gamer of the DiRT Rally 2.0 platform. Supporting the initiative, the world motorsport governing body the FIA are working towards greater awareness starting with the #RaceAtHome social media tag.
The virtual event is being held on the same dates as the New Zealand round that was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Pending resumption of the on-road championship, the Digital APRC will make use of dates made available by rounds forced to postpone due to the pandemic.
Gamers contest each round as a virtual event, accruing automatically calculated points based on their finishing position. An overall winner will be declared once the final round is completed. Each online event will run to a timetable resembling the originally scheduled event.
File photo of Gaurav Gill in APRC round. Image by India in F1 for representational purpose For this weekend’s New Zealand round, action starts on the Friday night with a night-time stage repeated three times. Gamers get a window of time to complete each stage, similar to each leg of the rally from Friday, May 8 through to Sunday, May 10.
Along with other motorsport codes under the Digital brand, the APRC focus is on relevance as a feeder to the top-level World Rally Championship (WRC) category, including use of the type of car available to gaming competitors.
APRC president Vicky Chandhok says the concept is a stimulating extension to the formal championship.
“Knowing how many gaming drivers are already in this space, giving them an international category to contest is very exciting. This gives a truly global opportunity for new drivers to contest our sport, virtually, and very important at the moment, from the safety of their home. Many of our top drivers are active in this market, so to bring the two together and compete on very level terms is fabulous.”
The Digital APRC calendar is expected to be at least five rounds, with dates to be confirmed in the near future. Updates and details will be posted to the FIA APRC Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FIA.APRC.
The event starts at 18:00 (11.30 am IST) on May 8 and finishes 15:30 (9 am IST) on May 10
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Sai Prithvi crowned champion of IR eSports ISRL2
Abdul Fattah and Raiden Samervel finish second and third respectively.
Mumbai, 2 May 2020: For the new generation of India’s racers, its practice arena has turned into a battlefield in the lockdown era.
Cooped up inside homes and missing out on valuable wheel time, racers from 14 cities took part in the country’s most popular competition: the Indian Sim Racing League (ISRL) in association with Volkswagen Motorsport.
Chennai’s Sai Prithvi garnered the maximum points, 252 over the five rounds, with the final one held on Friday night, to emerge Season 2’s undisputed champion.
Thrissur’s Abdul Fattah collected 191 points over the five rounds, to claim second position. Raiden Samervel from Mumbai managed 172 points to take the third position.
The Indian Sim Racing League receives good response. An INDIAinF1 image Incidentally, following innumerable queries, the ISRL announced that the third season would begin on May 8, with the promise of upgrades, a more viewer-friendly format and an attractive prize pool. Registrations are already open.
In the final race on the Laguna Seca track, Chennai’s Amith Kutti grabbed pole in qualifying, a mere eight-thousandth of a second ahead of points leader, Sai Prithvi. As the lights went out, a determined Prithvi went breathing down the tail of the leader pressurising him into an error.
Kutti and Prithvi exchanged fastest laps before Kutti tragically hit a back-marker. The resulting suspension damage forced him to retire. Title challenger Abdul Fattah (Thrissur) then crashed and pitted, losing valuable time and any hopes of winning the title. Jessie Jakhar (Thrissur) was the star of the race, climbing from seventeenth to finish fourth.
Sai Prithvi’s four victories in the five rounds were sufficient to crown him champion. He earns himself testing in a Volkswagen Motorsport race car. Abdul Fattah eventually finished eleventh to secure second in the final standings earns himself kart training sessions with Rayo Racing. Raiden Samervel, and gets a free race entry courtesy IndiKarting.
Organised by 8-time national karting champion Rayomand Banajee and his IR eSports, in association with Volkswagen Motorsport India, the championship pits India’s best online racers against real world racers: held on the popular online iRacing platform, each competes in an FIA homologated Dallara Formula 3 car, with identical setups, using his or her own simulator.
Mr. Sirish Vissa, Head Motorsports at Volkswagen India, said: “We are proud to associate with IR eSports and the Indian Sim Racing League. This gives a different dimension to our motorsport program in India. With this association we look forward to expanding our footprint in terms of accessibility to the sport.”
“We have always been looking at growing motorsport at the grassroots level. We gained a lot of knowledge organising India’s largest eSports Racing Championship last year. The lockdown created a perfect opportunity for the sport to grow and we are happy to create a competitive avenue for motorsport to grow in India via iRacing,” Rayomand added.
In this season, watched live by thousands on multiple social media channels, the five rounds saw the competitors racing on some of the world’s most iconic circuits, including Silverstone, Daytona and Laguna Seca.
The ISRL follows all the racing norms, with a proper rule book and experienced officials overseeing the conduct of the racers. Each round consists of two practice sessions totalling 90 minutes, a 10 minute qualifying and a 20 minute race. Points are awarded as per the Volkswagen India Championship, with additional points for pole position and fastest lap.
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#VirtualSpanishGP: MotoGP and Two Wheels for Life unite against coronavirus
The Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of Spain sees Two Wheels and Dorna Sports team up to raise funds for the fight against Covid-19
Jerez, 30 April 2020: The Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of Spain takes place this Sunday at 3 pm (GMT +2), with the MotoGP, Moto2 and Moto3 classes all suiting up to do digital battle in a world-first event. The star-studded line-up will be taking on the challenge on the new official MotoGP20 Videogame from videogame developer, publisher and long-standing partner Milestone; racing around the legendary Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto in Andalucia.
This time there’s more than glory at stake, however, as the event is in aid of MotoGP™’s official charity Two Wheels for Life to support their fight against Covid-19. The campaign is open for donations now and Dorna Sports begins the fundraising drive with a donation of €20,000! Fans and supporters can make their donations HERE, and links will also be available on social media throughout the broadcast of the Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of Spain.
Two Wheels for Life works with on-the-ground partners Riders for Health in a number of African countries, supporting African run and led healthcare initiatives using motorcycles. Experts in healthcare delivery across the continent, Riders for Health use their unique systems to ensure motorcycles and other vehicles run reliably, allowing health workers to access difficult-to-reach communities and villages delivering services such as child immunisation and emergency health transport, as well as ensuring test results can be taken to labs and returned swiftly to enable diagnoses.
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Champions Group keen to begin INRC season in June
Bengaluru, 24 April 2020: The sporting activities all over the world have come to a standstill and it is no different in India. No wonder, the motorsports in India, too, had to bow its head to the epidemic that changed the way people lead their life outdoors. However, with the lifting of the lockdown looming large and the government expected to relax certain activities from May 4, the Champions Yacht Club, the Promoters of the Indian National Rally Championship are looking at June-July to begin the season.
“If all goes well, we are expecting to start the season with the South India Rally towards June-end and the Rally of Coimbatore would be the second rally followed by the Rally of Arunachal as the third round, weather-permitting,” said Vamci Merla of Champions Yacht Club. “We will abide by all the regulations of the government and make sure that all safety and health aspects are taken care of both for the participants, marshals and other officials. We are planning to put up all the competitors in one hotel or nearby areas and ear-mark areas demarcating the gatherings and briefings for medical check-ups. The Madras Motor Sports Club had made all the arrangements and is ready to conduct the event and once the restrictions are relaxed, we will start the season. The first round also doubles up as an Asia Pacific Rally Championship leg,” added Merla.
Vamci Merla, Promoter Over the years, the Indian National Rally Championship has earned a reputation as the flagship event and has commanded the crowd patronage as the top event of the motorsports calendar of the Federation. However, after a lull in the activities, 2019 saw the entry of Champions Yacht Club of Champions Group as the Promoters and the new team has pumped in a lot of enthusiasm and cheer into the event as it arranged sponsorship for different drivers and some part sponsorship for tyres and other necessities. The curtain-raiser before the season was a big hit and the group also took an initiative and arranged training for select drivers, who were not in a position to afford it, under the tutelage of none other than Gaurav Gill, the multiple Asia Pacific Rally and Indian National Rally champion. The king of speed did his school especially for the group of drivers selected by Champions Group in Coimbatore with Chettinad Sporting providing the technical back-up for the cars. The Champions Group also had their team, which gave a chance to many talented drivers. Thus, last year, almost all the rounds saw a record participation of over 50 cars in all the rounds.
File photo of a Gypsy driven by Sanjay Aggarwal in 2018 K1000. An INDIAinF1 image The media in Jodhpur last year, were greeted by a Chennai rally enthusiast Gopi, who was providing voluntary services, taking reporters around. It was a pleasant surprise to see such passionate fans get a chance to take part in the rally this year. “I am very much interested in rallying but never had the resources to pursue my passion. This year, the Champions Yacht Club is sponsoring me and I am excited to take part in my first rally at Chennai. This is a golden chance for me as they are supporting me to enter all the rounds this season,” said the 31-year old Gopinath Ganapathi, said. A few such lucky competitors will get a chance to fulfil their dreams this year, thanks to the sponsorship support by the Promoter.
Vamci Merla thanked the MRF Tyres for providing the sponsorship and extending it this year too. He also expressed his thanks to, JK Tyre, who heeded to their request and sponsored some teams and drivers last year and will continue to do so this year also. He added that the season would have five rounds and after the Bengaluru K1000, the calendar will end with a round in either Chikkamagaluru or Kerala.
Most of the drivers and co-drivers have been taking to social media, especially Instagram to go live and have expressed eagerness to resume rallying. “It is too long and I am looking forward to the first rally,” Gaurav Gill had said.
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Dorna Sports’ eSport projects thrive as Virtual GP announced
A look through the numbers as MotoGP Virtual Race 2 makes more record-breaking history and a first-ever Virtual Grand Prix is announced.
Paris, 23 April 2020: After the incredible success of MotoGP™’s first ever Virtual Race, a second event was announced and Virtual Race 2 was broadcast on Sunday the 12th of April. From Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) and Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) to Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) and Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), the line-up was star studded and the race action packed as the grid took on the Red Bull Ring in Austria.
Feedback on the Virtual Races from the MotoGP™ community, fans, partners and more has only continued to grow. 29 broadcast partners showed the second event, with titans of sports broadcasting beaming the race to audiences around the world. Partners such as Sky Italy, Canal+ in France, DAZN (in Spain, Italy and DACHS), BT Sport in the UK, ServusTV in Austria and Germany, Viasat in Sweden and many more showed the event in Europe, whilst the Americas received coverage thanks to the likes of NBC in the USA and Fox Brazil and ESPN in Latin America. Fans further east could enjoy coverage from partners including Motorsport TV Russia, Eurosport India and Fox Asia, with those Down Under covered by Fox Australia and TEN. SuperSport also broadcast the event in Africa, meaning the second MotoGP™ Virtual Race once again reached every inhabited continent on Earth – as did the first!
Reach and engagement were also impressive across social media and online, with a marked increase across the board. 520 pieces of digital content were created around the event – including the full broadcast – for a total of 75 million impressions as teams, riders and MotoGP™ got involved. That’s an increase of 25% on the first Virtual Race, with video views also increasing from 13 million to 14 million and the live second race itself gaining views to hit 3.2 million. Once again, more than 2.5 million interactions were made with content related to Virtual Race 2 as well, with fans finding plenty to talk about! In total, that all adds up to a grand total of 8.5 million minutes of Virtual Race 2 content that were viewed – an increase of over a fifth.
There’s not too long to wait to see more showstopping action, either. On Sunday the 3rd of May – the original date for the Spanish GP – another world first will be broadcast: the Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of Spain. The event is to show solidarity with and in aid of the Official Charity of MotoGP™, Two Wheels for Life, supporting their efforts in the fight against Covid-19. It will begin at 15:00 (GMT +2) and will see all three Grand Prix classes – MotoGP™, Moto2™ and Moto3™ – compete in a unique three-race online event.
A screen shot of the MotoGP Virtual Race 2 recently. A MotoGP image. Premier class teams can field one rider each, with the exception of the Repsol Honda Team, who can enter two as reigning MotoGP™ Champions. In Moto2™ and Moto3™, ten riders can enter in each category, with the right of entry given in Championship order following the QNB Grand Prix of Qatar. Who will it be? All will be revealed as the event approaches…
Catch up on anything you missed from the first and second editions, including plenty of behind-the-scenes content, and then stay tuned at motogp.com, esport.motogp.com and across social media for more as the Red Bull Virtual Grand Prix of Spain gets closer and closer and more details are unveiled.
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INRC: Winners’ Hall of Fame
A list of all the winners of all the rounds starting for 1988 is compiled and given below. (Winners of a few years in the initial years are yet to be collected.)
By David Bodapati
Bengaluru: Indian National Rally Championship (INRC) has a special charm and attraction in India. It is the Crown Jewel of Indian motorsports and holds a respectable status among all the Nationals and vies for supremacy with National Racing Championship which, perhaps, has overtaken in popularity in the last few years due to the meticulous handling and organisational skills of the Madras Motor Sports Club. The overwhelming crowd patronage, the sheer passion and love shown by the drivers, officials, organisers and fans takes one into a different realm when one pours through the 32 editions held so far.
The year 1996 is a special year in my life. It is the first year, I saw a rally live and was enamoured by it. I was working with Indian Express then and was transferred to Bangalore Sports Desk in 1996. Since then I have followed all the rallies and have covered at least one rally a year.
In 1995, I had followed the reports from the rallies, and it was the largest calendar with 9 rounds and 1996 too had a menu of nine rounds, the best two years with the highest number of rounds in the 32 years of INRC history (as of 23Dec200). That year, the first three rounds were held in Nashik, Coimbatore and Madras and there were three different winners which opened up the race for the championship. We were eagerly waiting for the 22nd K1000. Come August and it is rally time here. And there was a new winner once again. Here, I met some of the legends with whom, over the years I developed great friendships. CK Chinnappa, George Francis, Shekar Bojanna, and the like. They used to reel out stories and I was mesmerised. And not to forget the two, Sujith Kumar and Madhu, who introduced me to live F1 screenings at Guzzlers Inn on Church Street, where the atmosphere used to be electric with two camps cheering their F1 heroes while guzzling draught beer. The McLaren fans on one side and the Tifosi on the other.
Coming back to INRC, I have tried to put together all the winners of all the rounds since INRC began in the present format as a National Championship in 1988. I have started with overall winners and co-drivers. Soon I hope to dig in and come up with winners of different classes. There are a lot of gaps. I request all the respected senior drivers and veteran fans to chip in and help me pool in the missing information. I will be very thankful for any additions and corrections. You can click the link for a particular round, if the link is available, and it will take you to the rally report of that year’s round.
A 2009 INRC image by Kishen Nanjappa. The IMG and PSP arrival as promoters has changed the rally scene in India in 2009. Here we go! Have a nostalgic trip!!
2025 INRC – Promoter: Bluedband Sports
Round 1: April 24 to 27: Chennai: South India Rally, Madras Motors Sports Club
2024 INRC – Promoter: Bluedband Sports
2023 INRC – Promoter: Bluedband Sports
2022 INRC – Promoter: Bluedband Sports
INRC 2021 Calendar: (announced by CYC on 22 March 2021)
No rally was held in 2021. The revised calendar after many Covid postponements was supposed to start with Vizag opener from Dec 17 to 19. But it was cancelled in the last minute due to the cancellaltion of the Police permission and despite the best efforts of the Promoter Vamsi Merla, the rally could not be conducted even on the following Tuesday and Wednesday and all the 54 competitors had to go back.
Later, FMSCI announced a 3-round 2021 calender to be conducted in 2022.
2021 INRC round Held in 2022
Aditya-Virender INRC 2021 champs
Round 1: Coimbatore: Rally of Coimbatore, Coimbatore Auto Sports Club
Aditya Thakur & Virender Kashyap clinch Rally of Coimbatore in style: INRC Ro.1
Round 2: Chennai: Madras Motor Sports Club, South India Rally
Karna Kadur wins APRC round on international debut; Nikhil Pai drives Polo magic again
Round 3: Final round: Bengaluru: Karnataka Motor Sports Club, K-1000
Gaurav Gill wins 7th K1000 title; 300th rally cap for Musa Sherif
2021 INRC – Promoter: Champions Yacht Club
Round 1 – Chennai: Madras Motor Sports Club – April 23-25; Postponed
Round 2 – Bengaluru: 45th K1000, Karnataka Motor Sports Club -May 28-30; Postponed due to Covid.
Round 3 – Coimbatore: Coimbatore Auto Sports Club – July 17-18; Not held.
Round 4 – *Delhi, BND Motor Sports , August 27-28; Not held.
Round 5 -Hampi: Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar – Oct 1-3; Not held.
Round 6 – *Nagaland, NAMSA, – November 12-14; Not held.
*Subject to FMSCI inspection and confirmation of organizer
2020 INRC – Promoter: Champions Yacht Club; Champion: Gill-Musa
- Itanagar, Tarmac NH415; 16-17 Dec 2020; Rally of Arunachal Pradesh; (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC, JK Tyres)
- Itanagar, Tarmac NH415; 19-20 Dec 2020; Rally of Arunachal Pradesh; (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC, JK Tyres)
- Coimbatore, Gravel; 29-31 Jan 2021; Rally of Coimbatore; (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC, JK Tyres)
- Bengaluru, Gravel; 12-14 Feb 2021; 45th K-1000 Rally; (Cancelled on 5 Feb 2021 by FMSCI)
*Hampi* (Karnataka); Gravel, 5-7 Feb 2021; Rally de Hampi 4w contender for fmsci INRC 2021; Organised by Motorsports Academy of Vijayanagar
**South India Rally at Chennai, Popular Rally in Kerala and Coffee Day Rally in Chikmagalur were cancelled initially for the year 2020 due to Corona Pandemic. Later in the last minute, K1000 was cancelled and Hampi did not get FMSCI clearance and ran as contender.
Note – All rounds of INRC 2020 were put off due to COVID-19 and only began in Decd 202. The Original calendar was 1. Chennai, Mar 20-22; South India Rally (APRC); 2. Arunachal, April 24-26: Rally of Arunachal; 3. Kerala, May 29 to 31: Popular Rally; 4. Coimbatore, July 24-26; Rally of Coimbatore; 5. Bengaluru, Oct 9-11; 45th K1000 Rally; 6. Hampi (Karnataka), Nov 6-8; Hampi Rally; 7. Chikmagalur, Dec 5-7; Rally of Chikmagalur;
2019 INRC (Champions: Brothers Chetan Shivram, Dilip Sharan)
Promoter: Champion Yacht Club
1. Chennai, Gravel, June 28-30; 41st South India Rally (Dean Mascarenhas-Shruptha Padival, VW Polo, Team Champions, INRC2-Overall 1st) 26/51 cars finished.
2. Coimbatore, Gravel, Aug 9-11; Rally of Coimbatore (Chetan Shivaram-Dilip Sharan, VW Polo, Team Akshara, INRC3-Overall first) 40/57 finished.
3. Jodhpur, Sept 20 to 22; Maxperience Rally 2019 (Cancelled after Stage 1 due to Gill accident*)
4. Bengaluru, Gravel, Nov 22-24; 44th K1000 Rally (Chetan Shivaram- Dilip Sharan, VW Polo, Team Akshara, INRC3-Overall first) Only 23/50 finished.
5. Kottayam, Asphalt, Dec 20-22; Popular Rally, (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC)
*Note: 3 died in the accident and the rally was cancelled after the first stage.
2018 INRC (Champions: Gaurav Singh Gill, Musa Sherif)
Promoter: RRPM
1. Chennai, Gravel, April 27-29; MRF 40th South India Rally (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, INRC1) 19/30 cars finished.
2. Coimbatore, Gravel, Aug 3-5; MRF Rally of Coimbatore (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC1) 30/42 cars finished.
3. Itanagar, Asphalt, Nov 2-4; Rally of Arunachal (Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik, Mahindra XUV 500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC1) 13/17 finished
4. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Nov 29-Dec 2; Coffee Day Rally (Karna Kadur-Nikhil Pai, VW Polo, Arka Motorsports, INRC2 – Overall first) 38/45 cars finished.
5. Kochin, Asphalt, Dec 14-16; Popular Rally (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, INRC1) 30/36 cars finished.
Note: K1000 missing in the calendar for the first time in INRC due to the Promoter RRPM’s decision.
2017 INRC (Champions: Gaurav Singh Gill, Musa Sherif)
Promoter: RRPM
1. Coimbatore, Gravel, July 28-30; MRF Rally of Coimbatore (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC). 22 of 32 finished.
2. Chennai, Gravel, Aug 25-27, 40th MRF SIR – CANCELLED
2. Jaipur, Gravel, Sept 22-24; Rally of Rajasthan (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, INRC) 11 of 16 finished. Note: One stage of 13.8km cancelled.
3. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Nov 23-26; Coffee Day India Rally (Karna Kadur-Nikhil Pai, VW Polo, Arka Motorsports, INRC2 – Overall first) 26 of 38 cars finished.
4. Arunachal Pradesh, Gravel, Dec 21-23; Rally of Arunachal (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, INRC) One stage of 18km cancelled. 14/17cars finished.
5. Bengaluru, Gravel, Jan 19-21, 2018; 43rd K1000 Rally (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, INRC)* 17/27 finished.
*Left over round of 2017 calendar held in 2018
2016 INRC (Champions: Karna Kadur, Nikhil Pai)
Promoter: RRPM
1. Coimbatore, Gravel, July 23-24; MRF Rally of Coimbatore, (PG Abhilash- Srikanth Gowda, Lancer Evo 8, R3A PGA Motorsport, IRC)* 32 of 39 cars finished.
*Note; On Aug 18 protest was upheld and Abhilash-Gowda were declared winners.
2. Nashik, Gravel, Aug 27-28; MRF Rally of Maharashtra (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, Team Mahindra Adventure, IRC) 25 of 32 cars finished.
(Abhilash-Srikanth win IRC, Lancer Evo 8, R3A PGA Motorsport – Overall 9th)
3. Gurgaon, Gravel, Sept 17-18; MRF Rally de North (Arjun Rao Aroor- Satish Rajagopal, VW Polo R2) (Dr Dhirendra-Honey win IRC, Overall 10th) 12/25 finished. Cancelled stage 16.7km.
4. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Dec 3-5, Coffee Day India Rally (Gaurav Gill- McNeal Glenn, Skoda Fabia R5, Team MRF Tyres; APRC) (Karna Kadur-Nikhil Pai, VW Polo, Team Yokohoma, INRC 2000) 31 of 49 cars finished.
5. Hosadurga, near Bengaluru, Gravel, Dec 17-18; MRF 42nd K1000 Rally (Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik, Mahindra XUV 500, Team Mahindra Adventure, INRC); (Rahul Kantharaj-Vivek Bhatt, Cedia, Team Yokohama, 2000 – Overall 3rd) 20 of 31 cars finished.
Note: Karna Kadur -Nikhil Pai, finish 5th in K1000; enough to win championship.
2015 INRC (Champions: Lohith V Urs, Srikanth GM)
1. Goa, May 29 to 31; – CANCELLED
1.Nashik, Asphalt, June 12-14, Mahindra Adventure Rally of Maharashtra (Gaurav Gill-Musa, Mahindra XUV 500, Team Mahindra Adventure, IRC) 21 of 26 finished.
2. Coimbatore, Gravel, July 30-Aug 1, Rally of Coimbatore, (Lohitt V Urs-Srikanth Gowda, Lancer Evo VIII, IRC) 24 of 35 cars finished.
Rally of Kerala, CANCELLED, Oct 16 to 18 (Labour strike at plantations)
3. Bengaluru, Gravel, Nov 20-22; Horizon 41st K1000 Rally (Pallath Ganesh Abhilash-Anoop Kumar, Lancer Evo 8, IRC) 23 of 36 cars finished.
4. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Dec 11-13, Coffee Day Rally (Lohitt Urs- Srikanth Gowda, Evo 8, RC2 IRC). 17.9km stage cancelled. 28 of 41 cars finished.
2014 INRC (Champions: Gaurav Singh Gill, Musa Sherif)
1. Nashik, Tarmac, June 13-15; WISA Rally of Maharashtra (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, Mahindra Adventure team, IRC) 19 of 20 cars finished.
2. Coimbatore, Gravel, July 11-13; Rally of Coimbatore (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, Mahindra Adventure team, IRC). 21 of 35 cars finished.
3. Chennai, Gravel, July 25-27; AVT Premiuim 39th SIR (Samir Thaper- Gurinder Mann, Lancer Evo X, JCT Rallying, IRC). 18 of 29 cars finished.
4. Kolkata, Durgapur, Gravel, Oct 31-Nov 2; 3 Rally de Bengal (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, Mahindra Adventure team, IRC). 11 of 18 cars finished.
5. Bengaluru, Gravel, Nov 21-23; Kar 1000 Rally (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV 500, Mahindra Adventure team, IRC). 24 of 41 cars finished. Stages Near Doddaguni, Tumkur.
6. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Dec 13-14; Coffee Day Rally (Vikram Mathias- Swaroop Mohan, Lancer Evo IX, pvt, IRC). 19 of 34 cars finished.
2013 INRC (Champions: Amittrajit Ghosh, Ashwin Naik)
1. Chennai, Gravel, March 22-24; 38th AVT Premium South India Rally (Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik, Mitsubishi Cedia, Group N). 19 of 35 cars finished.
2. Nashik, Asphalt, June 7-9; Mahindra Adventure Rally of Maharashtra (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV500, Mahindra Adventure, SUV). 16/28 finished. Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik, Cedia, Group N, Overall Winners
3. Coimbatore, Gravel, July 19-21; Rally of Coimbatore Rally (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV500, Team Mahindra Adventure, SUV). 14 of 29 cars finished. Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik, Cedia, Group N, Overall Winners.
4. Bangalore, Gravel, Nov 9-10; IMG 39th K1000 Rally (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mahindra XUV500, Mahindra Adventure, SUV). 23 of 36 cars finished.
5. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Dec 19-21; Coffee Day Rally, (Arjun Rao Aroor-Satish Rajagopal, VW Polo, 1600-Overall first). 17/38 finished. 14.21km Stage cancelled.
Note: Following rounds were announced in the Calendar but NOT HELD
Bhuj, Northern Motorsports, April 12 to 14 (Gravel)
Kolkota, RRPM, May 17 to 20 (gravel)
Kochi, KASC, Sept 20 to 22 (TBA) tarmac
2012 INRC (Champions: Amittrajit Ghosh, Ashwin Naik)
Promoter: IMG-PSP; (No Sponsor)
1. Siddlaghatta, Bangalore, Gravel, Sept 21-23; 38th K1000 Bangalore Rally (Lohitt V Urs-Sujith Kumar, Mitsubishi Cedia, 2000, pvt). 22 of 39 cars finished.
Coorg, Oct 19-21; Rally of Coorg. CANCELLED due to rains.
2. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Nov 23-25; Coffee Day Rally (Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik, Mitsubishi Cedia, 2000). 29 of 43 finished.
Note: Karna Kadur-Somonnita Ghosh lost at the fag-end due to 40-sec late penalty at the last TC which virtually cost him the Championship.
Ahmednagar/Nashik, Gravel, Dec 22-23; Rally of Maharashtra. CANCELLED for lack of gravel stage permissions from landowners.
2011 INRC (Champions: Gaurav Singh Gill, Musa Sherif)
Promoter: IMG-PSP; Sponsor Bharat Petroleum- Speed
Calendar announced on 16 March 2011
1. Nashik, Gravel, June 2-5; Rally of Maharashtra (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, MRF Ltd, 2000N+) 18 of 27 cars finished.
2. Chennai, Dirt with SSS on tarmac, June 23-26; 37th South India Rally (Amittrajit Ghosh-Ashwin Naik, Mitsubishi Cedia, MRF Tyres, 2000N+). 12 of 27 cars finished. SIR revived after 11 years.
3. Coimbatore, Gravel, July 21-24; Rally of Coimbatore (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, MRF Ltd, 2000N+). 26 of 39 cars finished.
4. Bangalore, Gravel, Aug 19-21; 37th K1000 Rally of Bangalore (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, MRF Ltd, 2000N+). 19 out of 41 cars finished.
5. Chikmagalur, Gravel Nov 18-20; MSCC – Coffee Day Rally (Lohitt V Urs-PV Srinivasa Murthy, Mitsubishi Cedia, MRF Ltd., 2000N+). 29 of 39 cars finished.
6. Bhubaneswar, Gravel, Dec 9-11; Rally of Odisha (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, MRF Ltd, 2000N+). 15/18 cars finished. Organisers: BMSC & Kalinga MSC.
7. Durgapur, Gravel, Dec 16-18; Rally de Bengal (Gaurav Gill- Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, MRF Ltd, 2000N+). 15 of 21 finished. Organiser: RRPM
2010 INRC (Champions: Naren Kumar, Dorairaj Ram Kumar)
Promoter: IMG-PSP; Sponsor Bharat Petroleum- Speed
1. Nashik, Tarmac-mix (1ss gravel for a bit), June 25-27; Rally of Maharashtra (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, Team MRF Tyres, 2000N+). 25 of 31 cars finished.
2. Coimbatore, Gravel, Aug 6-8; Rally of Coimbatore (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Mitsubishi Cedia, Red Rooster Racing, 2000N+). 37 of 50 cars finished.
3. Jodhpur, Gravel, Sept 17-19; Rally of Rajasthan (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Mitsubishi Cedia, Red Rooster Racing, 2000N+). 28 of 38 cars finished.
4. Siddlaghatta, near Bengaluru, Gravel, Dec 3-5; 36th K1000 Rally (APRC contender) (Arjun Rao Aroor-Satish Rajagopal, Mitsubishi Cedia, Team MRF Tyres, 2000N+). Only 12 of 41 cars finished.
5. Kottayam, Asphalt, Dec 15-19; Misty Meadows Rally of Kerala (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, Team MRF Tyres, 2000N+). 23 of 32 cars finished.
2009 INRC (Champions: Gaurav Singh Gill, Musa Sherif)
Promoter: IMG-PSP; Sponsor Bharat Petroleum- Speed
1. Coimbatore, Gravel, June 26-28; Rally of Coimbatore (Arjun Rao Aroor-Satish Rajagopal, Mitsubishi Cedia, Team MRF Tyres, 2000N+). 28 of 46 finished.
2. Bangalore, Gravel, Aug 21-23, 35th Rally of Bangalore (Arjun Balu-Sujith Kumar, Mitsubishi Cedia, Team MRF Tyres, 2000N+). 35 of record 61 entries finished.
3. Durgapur, near Kolkata, Gravel, Sept 18-20; Rally of Kolkata (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, MRF Ltd, 2000N+). 22 of 36 cars finished.
4. Nashik, Asphalt, Oct 30-Nov 1; Rally of Nashik (Vikram Mathias- PVS Murthy, Mitsubishi Cedia, Red Rooster Racing, 2000N+). 21 of 27 cars finished.
5. Chikmagalur, Gravel, Nov 20-22; Coffee Day Rally (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, MRF Ltd, 2000N+). 27 of 37 cars finished.
2008 FMSCI INRC (Champions: Vikram Mathias, PVS Murthy)
1. Mysore, Gravel, June 13-15; Sidvin Rally of Karnataka (Vikram Mathias- PVS Murthy, Mitsubishi Cedia, Red Rooster Racing, 2000N+) 25 of 34 cars finished.
2. Bangalore, Asphalt, Aug 8-10; 34th K1000 Rally (Vikram Mathias-PVS Murthy, Mitsubishi Cedia, 2000N+) 27 of 52 cars finished.
3. Cochin, Asphalt, Sept 12-14; 23. Popular Rally of Kerala (Lohitt V Urs-CM Chandramouli, Mitsubishi Cedia, 2000N+). 20 of 35 cars finished.
4. Coimbatore, Gravel, Oct 17-19; IMG Mill and Monsoon Rally (Vikram Mathias- PVS Murthy, Mitsubishi Cedia, 2000N+) ?? cars finished.
5. Coorg, Nov 28-30; Rally de Coorg (Vikram Mathias-PVS Murthy, Red Rooster Racing, Mitsubishi Cedia, 2000N+)
6. Nashik, Asphalt, Dec 19-21; IMG Rally of Maharashtra (Vikram Mathias-PVS Murthy, Red Rooster Racing, Mitsubishi Cedia, 2000N+)
Chennai, Gravel, Nov 14 to 16, 36th SIR CANCELLED
2007 MAI INRC (Champions: Gaurav Gill, Musa Sherif)
1. Kochin, Asphalt, March 9-11; 22nd Heera Rally, (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, 1600). 17 of 30 cars finished.
2. Chikmagalur, Asphalt, May 4-6; Coffee Day Championship Rally, (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, Team MRF Tyres; Class 2000). 22 of 37 finished. Day 1 Report,
3. Bangalore, Asphalt, Aug 17-19; 33rd Bosch K1000 Rally (Gaurav Gill-Musa Sherif, Mitsubishi Cedia, Team MRF Tyres – 2000). 32 of 47 cars finished.
4. Pune, Asphalt, Nov 30-Dec 1; Rally of Maharashtra (Lohitt V Urs-Jaidas Menon, Ford Fiesta, Team MRF Tyres, 1600). 30 of 37 cars finished. Preview
2006 MAI INRC (Champions: VR Naren Kumar, D Ram Kumar)
1. Pune, Gravel, May 5-6; Xtra Premium Overdrive Rally of Pune (Gaurav Gill-Farooq Ahmed, Maruti Baleno, 1600). ?? out of 12 cars finished.
2. Chikmagalur, Gravel, May 26-28; Coffee Day Championship Rally, (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, ???, 1600). ?? out of 21 cars finished. Day 1 report,
3. Coimbatore, June 9-11; Rally of Coimbatore, CANCELLED
3. Maddur, near Bangalore, Gravel, Aug 11-13; 32 Bosch K1000 Rally 2006 (Gaurav Gill-Farooq Ahmed, Cedia 1600 class). 31 of 46 cars finished.
4. Chandigarh, Gravel, Nov 3-5; Power Pine Forest Rally, (Lohitt V Urs-Musa Sherif, Maruti Baleno). 19 of 35 cars finished.
5. Goa, Asphalt, Nov 18-19; WIAA Rally de Goa, (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Mitsubishi Cedia, 1600). 29 of 35 cars finished.
Note: Round 6 in Hyderabad, Deccan Rally from Dec 1 to 3 was CANCELLED as organisers said they would not be able to host it.
2005 MAI INRC (Champions: VR Naren Kumar, D Ram Kumar)
1. Meghalaya, Gravel, Mar 11-13; Rally Tura (Sandeep Sharma-Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Maruti Gypsy, Gypsy-Overall first). 9 of 16 cars finished.
2. Mysore, gravel, May 26-29; Mysore Safari Rally (Arjun Balu-Kumar Ramaswamy, Maruti Baleno, 1600). 15 of 22 cars finished.
3. Bangalore, Asphalt, Aug 12-14; Mico Bosch 31st K1000 Rally (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, Maruti Baleno, 1600). 18 of 25 cars finished.
4. Chandigarh, Asphalt, Oct 21-23; Power M1 Challenge Rally (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, Maruti Baleno, 1600). 18 of 28 cars finished. Local Preview
5. Delhi, gravel, Nov 11-13; Rally of the North, (Arjun Rao Aroor-CM Chandramouili, Baleno 1600, Team MRF tyres). Only 13 of total 40 cars finished. Preview.
6. Cochin, Asphalt, Nov 25, to 27, -22nd Popular Rally, ???
7. Hyderabad, Gravel, Dec 9-11; Sujana MRF Deccan Rally (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, Maruti Baleno, 1600). 17 of 26 cars finished. Preview.
2004 MAI INRC (Champions: Vikram Mathias, B. Sujith Kumar)
Awards Ceremony held on 24 January 2005
1. Nashik, Asphalt, July 2-4: MAK Nashik Rally (Phillipos Mathai-Ashwin Naik, Esteem, 1400, Overall first) 12 cars of 14 finished.
2. Bangalore, Asphalt, August 6-8: 30th Karnataka-1000 Rally (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, Baleno, Team MRF Tyres 1600) 18 of 24 cars finished.
3. Cochin, Asphalt, August 20-22: 21st Popular Rally 2004 (Vikram Mathias- Sujith Kumar, Baleno, 1600) 15 of 20 cars finished.
Note: Car No.1 Naren Kumar/ Ram hit a five-year-old who died immediately. After four stages, organisers decided to stop the rally.
4. Panjim, Goa, Gravel, Sept 10-12: WIAA Rallye De Goa (Naren Kumar- D Ram Kumar, Baleno, Team MRF Tyres, 1600). 12 of 20 cars finished.
5. Chandigarh, Gravel, October 29-31: Power M1 Challenge (Lohitt V Urs- Bonnie Thomas, Baleno, 1600). 17 of the 23 cars finished.
6. New Delhi, Gravel, November 19-21: Maruti Suzuki India Challenge – Rally of the North (Vikram Mathias- Sujith Kumar, Baleno, 1600). 24 of 32 cars finished.
7. Pune, Gravel, December 3-5: MRF India Rally (Lohitt V Urs-Bonnie Thomas, Baleno, 1600). 11 of 16 cars finished. A stage of 70.1km cancelled.
2003 MAI INRC (Champions: Naren Kumar and D Ram Kumar)
1. Chikmagalur, Asphalt, May 23-25; Coffee Day Rally, (Naren Kumar- D Ram Kumar, Honda City, Team MRF Tyres) 13/19 cars finished. Preview
2. Nashik, Asphalt, June 6-8; MRF Taj Challenge (Naren Kumar- Musa Sherif, Honda City, MRF Tyres) 10 of 14 cars finished.
3. Cochin, Gravel, Aug 29-31; 20th Kerala Rally (Naren Kumar – D Ram Kumar, Honda City, MRF Tyres, 1600); 13 of 17 cars finished.
4. Chandigarh, Gravel, Sept 19-21; 1. Power M1 Challenge Rally (Naren Kumar – D Ram Kumar, Honda City, 1600); 10 of 16 cars finished. (Organiser: Motorsports One).
5. Panjim, Goa, Gravel, Oct 31-Nov 2; WIAA Rally de Goa (Arjun Balu- Kumar Ramaswamy, Honda City, MRF Tyres, 1600) All 8 cars finished.
6. Bangalore, Gravel, Nov 14-16; 29. Movva Rally de Bangalore 2003 (Karandip Singh- Jaidas Menon, Honda City, 1600). 11 cars of 14 finished.
7. Pune, Gravel, Dec 5-7; MRF India Rally -APRC (Jiby Maliakkal- Nikhil Pai, Honda Civic-VTEC, 1600); 7 of 15 cars finished. Flag Off. Friday report. Saturday report.
Coimbatore, Dec 26 to 28. NOT HELD
(As per the calendar announced in Mumbai on 13 May 2003)
2002 MAI INRC (Champions: Naren Kumar and D Ram Kumar)
1. Coimbatore, Asphalt, Mar 30-31; Servo Mill and Monsoon Rally (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Honda City VTEC, Team MRF Tyres) 17 of 25 cars finished.
Note: Organisers Spitfire Motorsports (Karthikeyan drives a Tata Indica Zero car)
2. Nashik, Asphalt, July 5-7; WIAA Taj Nashik Rally (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, Honda City VTEC, 1600). 13 of 15 cars finished the rally.
3. Panaji, Goa, Asphalt, Sept 27-29; WIAA Rallye de Goa (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, Team MRF Tyres, Honda City VTEC). 9 of 16 finished.
Jiby Maliakkal- Nikhil Pai win 1400cc class.
4. Bangalore, Asphalt, Oct 11-13; 28. Park Plaza Bangalore Rally (Naren Kumar-D Ramkumar, Honda City VTEC, 1600). 13 of 17 cars finished.
Jiby Maliakkal-Nikhil Pai win 1400cc
5.Bangalore, Gravel, Dec 7-8; MRF India Rally, (Arjun Balu-Kumar Ramaswamy, Team MRF Tyres, Honda City VTEC, 1600). 11 of 15 cars finished.
2001 MAI INRC (Champion: N Leelakrishnan & Farooq Ahmed)
(Runner-up Sagar Muthappa & Sandeep Rao)
1. Coimbatore, Gravel, Mar 31 & Apr 1; Servo Mill Monsoon Rally, (Leelakrishnan-Farooq, Honda City)
2. Nashik, June 8-10; Taj Rally India; (Vikram Mathias-Sujith Kumar, Esteem)
3. Mumbai (gravel), July 6-8; Orange Monsoon Rally, (Leelakrishnan-Farooq Ahmed, Honda City)
4. Bangalore, Aug 10-12; 27th K1000 Rally (Karandeep Singh-Jaidas Menon, Maruti Baleno)
5. Goa, Sept 7-9; Gravel, Old Anchor Rally de Goa, (Naren Kumar-Ram Kumar, Honda City) 15 out of 18 cars finished.
6. Coorg, Sept 28-30; Coorg Xpresso Rally, (Sagar Muthappa-Sandeep Rao, Honda City)
7. Cochin, (Asphalt) Oct 26-28; 19th Chandrika Soap Popular Rally 2001 (Sagar Muthappa-Sandeep Rao, Honda City VTec 1600cc) 12 of 17 cars finished.
8. Mangalore (Asphalt), Nov 24, 25, Coffee Day Action Rally, (Karandeep Singh-Jaidas Menon, Maruti Esteem) 14 of 18 cars finished.
2000 FMSCI/MAI INRC (Champion: VR Naren Kumar, D Ram Kumar)
1*. Calcutta, April 28-29; Birla Tyres Wild Run Rally – PG Abhilash-Yogesh Gupta
2*. Chennai, July 28-30; 36th South India Rally 2000 (Vicky Chandhok-Sandeep Lal, Mitsubishi Lancer (lancer debut) JK Tyre team) 11 of the 19 cars finished the rally.
*Note: Conducted by FMSCI, so does not show in the MAI calendar. MAI came into existence as FIA ASN on April 5.
MAI Official National Rounds
1. Mumbai, Gravel, Aug 4-6; WIAA Monsoon Rally, (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Esteem)
2. Pune, Gravel, Sept 1-3; Para-HRA Monsoon Rally of Pune 2000 (Leelakrishnan-Farooq Ahmed, Esteem)
3. Goa, Gravel, Sept 22-24; Rally de Goa, (Arjun Balu -Kumar Ramasamy, Esteem)
4. Coorg, Asphalt, October 13-15, Rally of Coorg, (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Esteem)
5. Kerala, Asphalt, Nov 3 to 5; 18th Popular Rally, (Arjun Balu -Kumar Ramasamy, Esteem) 9 of 12 cars finished.
6. Coimbatore, Gravel, Nov 24-26, Rally of Coimbatore, ??
7. Bangalore, Gravel, Dec 15-17, 26th K1000 Rally, ??
INRC FMSCI 1999 (Champions: VR Naren Kumar, Farooq Ahmed)
1. Durgapur, Gravel, March 31-Apr 4; 5 Birla Tyres EMSA Wild Run Rally (Hari Singh-Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem)
2. Nashik, Asphalt, June 3-6; Nasa Challenge Rally, (Leelakrishnan- Farooq Ahmed, Esteem)
3. Madras, Gravel, July 9-12; 35th South India Rally, (Arjun Balu- Kumar Ramaswamy, Esteem)
4. Bangalore, Gravel, Aug 11-15; 25th Karnataka 1000 Rally (Hari Singh-Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem)
5. Cochin, Asphalt, Sept 16-20; 17th Popular Rally, (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Esteem- MRF). Organiser: KASC
6. Coimbatore, Gravel, Oct 7-11; 17th Cotton City Rally, (Naren Kumar-D Ram Kumar, Esteem- MRF)
7. Bangalore, Asphalt, Nov 11-14, 17th Rally d’ Endurance (Karamjit Singh- Jagdev Singh, JK Tyres Rally team, Esteem). Organiser: IASC
8. Hyderabad, Gravel, Dec 10-13, 14th Deccan Rally, (Arjun Balu- Kumar Ramaswamy, Esteem). Organiser: APMSC, Secunderabad.
INRC 1998 (FMSCI) (Drivers’ Champ: N Leelakrishnan; Navigators’ champ: Farooq Ahmed)
Driver’s Championship standings; Navigators’ Final Standings
1. Nashik, Gravel, May 8-10; Castrol Challenge, (N Leelakrishnan-Chander MK, Esteem)
2. Madras, Gravel, July 3-6; 34th South India Rally (SIR), (Hari Singh-Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem). Only 13 of the 28 cars finished the rally.
3. Bangalore, Gravel, Aug 11-14; 24th Castrol Kar1000 Rally, (Leelakrishnan -Farooq Ahmed, Esteem) 15 of 28 cars finished. Winner time: 1:38:43.
4. Cochin, Gravel, Sept 11-14; 16th Popular Rally, (Manik Raiky- Vivek Ponnusamy, Esteem)
5. Coimbatore, Gravel, Oct 9-12; 16th Castrol Cotton City Rally, (Naren Kumar-Chander MK, Esteem)
6. Coorg, Gravel, Nov 11-13; 16th Rally d Endurance, (Naren Kumar-Chander MK, Esteem) 10 of 23 cars finished.
7. Hyderabad, Gravel, Dec 5-7, Castrol Deccan Rally, (Dicky Upkar Gill- Aditya Singh, Esteem)
8. Jaipur, Gravel, Dec 25-28, Castrol Desert Rally (Hari Singh-Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem).
INRC 1997 (fmsci) (Champions: Hari Singh, Gurinder Singh Mann)
1. Nashik, Gravel, May 2-5; Castrol Challenge Rally 97 (Thirumal Roy- Amita Roy, Esteem)
2. Coimbatore, Gravel, May 23-27; 15th Scissors Action Rally, (Sanjay Agarwal-Shivu Shivappa, Esteem)
3. Chennai, Gravel, July 11-13; 33rd Castrol SIR 1997 (Dicky Upkar Gill- Manish Kapur, Esteem)
4. Bangalore, Asphalt, Aug 12-14; The Club 23rd Karnataka 1000 Rally, (Hari Singh- Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem)
5. Cochin, Asphalt, Sep 13-14; 15th Popular Rally (Naren Kumar-Chander MK, Esteem)
6. Simla, Gravel, Oct 3-6, Castrol Mountain Challenge, (Hari Singh-Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem)
7. Bangalore, Gravel, Nov 6-9, Castrol Rally d’Endurance (Hari Singh-Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem)
8. Hyderabad?, Gravel, Dec 6-8, Castrol Deccan Rally, (Naren Kumar-Ram Kumar, Esteem)
INRC fmsci 1996 (Champions: Hari Singh, Gurinder Singh Mann)
1. Nashik, Gravel, Jan 6-7; Castrol Challenge Rally (Farad Batheena- Farooqh Commissariat, Gypsy) 12 of 24 cars finished. Winner time: 1:57:16;
2. Coimbatore, Gravel, June 1-3, 14th Scissors Action Rally (Sanjay Agarwal-Shivu Shivappa, Esteem) 9 out of 10 cars finished.
3. Madras, Gravel, July 12-14; 32nd Castrol South India Rally (Majithia-CDR Chowdary, Esteem) 11 of 28 cars finished
4. Bangalore, Asphalt, Aug 11-13, 22nd Karnataka 1000 Rally, (Samir Thapar-Rahul Rao Koka, Esteem) 28 of 35 cars finished.
5. Cochin, Gravel, Sept 13-16; 14th Popular Rally (Hari Singh-Gurinder Singh Mann, Esteem). 17 of 29 cars finished.
6. Delhi, gravel, Oct 11-14; Castrol Mountain Challenge, (Hari Singh-Gurinder Mann, Esteem). 15 of 26 cars finished.
7. Coorg (Madikeri), Gravel, Nov 7-10; 14th Castrol Rally de Endurance, (Bikram Singh Majithia-Vijayant Chowdhry). 13 cars finished.
8. Hyderabad, Gravel, Dec 6-8; Castrol Deccan Rally (Naren-??, Esteem)
9. Bombay, Asphalt, Dec 27-29; Masa Rally (???)
INRC 1995 (Champions: Hari Singh, Gurinder Singh Mann)
1. Nashik, Gravel, April 7-8; Castrol Challenge Rally, (Hari Singh -Gurinder Mann gypsy); 20 out of 25 cars finished.
2. Coimbatore, Gravel, May 27-29; 13 Scissors Action Rally, (Leelakrishnan-Farooq Ahmed, Esteem)
3. Madras, Gravel, July 6-8; 31st Castrol South India Rally (Hari Singh- Gurinder Singh Mann Gypsy)
4. Bombay, Gravel, June 21-23; Castrol Masa Rally, (Majithia-Aditya Singh, Gypsy)
5. Bangalore, Gravel, Aug 12-14; BPL 21st K1000 Rally (Naren Kumar-Chander MK Esteem)
6. Cochin, Asphalt, Sept 16-17, 13th Castrol Popular Rally, (Majithia-Aditya Singh, Gypsy) 26 of 37 cars finished.
7. Delhi, Asphalt, Oct 14-15; Castrol Mountain Challenge, (Hari-Gurinder Gypsy)
8. Bangalore, Asphalt, Nov 11-12, Castrol Rally de Endurance, (Hari-Gurinder Gypsy)
9. Hyd?? Gravel, Dec 2-3, Castrol Deccan Rally (Hari-Gurinder Gypsy)
INRC 1994 (Champions: Hari Singh, Gurinder Singh Mann)
(To be completed)
1?. Madras, 30th South India Rally, ??
2?. Coimbatore, Cotton City Rally, ??
3?. Bombay, ?? MASA Rally, (Jagat Nanjappa-Anita Nanjappa)
4?. Cochin, Sept 12-15; 12th Popular Rally (Hari Singh and GS Mann, Gypsy)
5?. Bangalore, 20th Scissors K1000 Rally, (N Leelakrishnan and Farooq Ahmed, Gypsy, Team MRF) (Naren Kumar-??? won Group N) (Shyam Kothari & C Patil won 2w K1000)
6?.Deccan Rally, Dec 1, Gravel, *(Gurmeher Singh-??? Gypsy)
INRC 1993 (Champions: N Leelakrishnan, N Mahindran or Farokh Commissariat)
1?. Kodaikanal, Castrol 29th SIR (N Leelakrishnan-N Mahindran, Gypsy)
2?. Bombay, MASA Rally, (2W winners: Jagat Nanjappa-Anita Nanjappa)
3?. Bangalore, Aug 14-15; 19th Scissors Karnataka 1000 (Team Paarel, Vinil Varghese and Anil Devaraj)
4?. Cochin, Sept 17-19; 11th Popular Rally (For Castrol FIRD and FIRR Championship) (Farad Bathena, Farooq Commissariat, Team MRF)
5?. Coimbatore, Cotton Rally
6. Hyderabad, 11th Charminar Challenge Car Rally, (N Leelakrishnan, Farooq Ahmed, Team MRF)
INRC 1992 (Champions*: N Leelakrishnan, N Mahindran)
Leela had ten wins in 92-93
1. Coimbatore, 4 May 1992, Scissors Action Rally (Overall first: N Leelakrishnan/ P Vivekanand, Team MRF) Bikes: (Jagat Nanjappa- Anita Nanjappa)
2. Kodaikanal, 13 July 1992; 28th South India Rally (N Leelakrishnan/ R Mahendran, Team MRF)
3. Bangalore, 15 Aug 1992; K 1000 Rally, (N Leelakrishnan/ R Mahendran, Team MRF)
4. Cochin, Sept 18-20; 10th Popular Rally, (Leelakrishnan, R Mahendran, Gypsy), organisers: Kerala Auto Sports Club (KASC).
5. Bangalore, 17 Oct 1992: McDowell Rally de Endurance (Nikhil Taneja/ Askif Haidari) or (Hari Singh, GS Mann) – to be confirmed
*Note: There was a tie between Leelakrishnan-Mahendran and Farad Bathena-Farookh Commissariat, and Leela-Mahendran won the tie-breaker.
INRC 1991 (Champions: N Leelakrishnan, N Mahindran)
1. Coimbatore, Gravel, June 21-23, Cotton City Rally, (Leelakrishnan-Jose, Gypsy)
2. Kodaikanal, Gravel, July 13, 27th South India Rally, (Farad Bathena- Farookh Commissariat, Gypsy) 9 of 15 cars finished.
3. Tumkur, near Bangalore, Gravel, Aug 12-13, Rally de’ Endurance, K1000, (Leelakrishnan-Mahendran or GVL Gopal, Gypsy)
4. ??? – Gravel, Sept 20-21, McDowell Rally, (Farad Batheena-?? Gypsy)
5. Bombay, Gravel, Oct 5-7, Castrol Rally, (Leelakrishnan-??, Gypsy)
6. Hyderabad, Gravel, Dec 7-9, Charminar Challenge, (Leelakrishnan-?? Gypsy)
INRC 1990 (Champions: N Leelakrishnan, CF Jaykumar)
(To be completed)
1?. Madras, 26th South India Rally ??
2?. Bangalore, 16th K1000 Rally, Leelakrishnan, Mahendran, Gypsy Team MRF
3?. Coimbatore, Cotton City Rally ??
4?. Hyderabad, Charminar Challenge ??
INRC 1989 (Champions: Farad Bathena, Raj Bagri) (To be completed)
- Bangalore, Rally de Endurance, Farad Bathena/ Farooq Commissariat
2. Madras, 25th? South India Rally (Farad Bathena- Raj Kumar Bagri, Team MRF, Gypsy)
3. Bangalore, 15th K1000 Rally, (Harish Samtani/ Rajiv Choudhry, Gypsy, Team MRF)
3?. Coimbatore, Cotton City Rally ??
4?. Hyderabad, Charminar Challenge ?? (Ashok Rao Aroor?)
INRC 1988 (Champions: Farad Batheena, Raj Bagri) (To be completed)
1. Coimbatore, Gravel, Scissors Master Action Rally (L Gopoalakrishnan-R Mahendran, Maruti 800, Group A(II) Ind)
2. Great Desert Rally, Farad Bathena/ Raj Kumar Bagri
3. Kodaikanal, 24th South India Rally, Farad Bathena/Raj Kumar Bagri (Team MRF)
4. Karavalli, Karavalli Rally, George Anthony (Team MRF)
5. Mumbai, MASA Rally, Farad Bathena
6. Cochin, July 29-31; 6th Popular Rally; (George Anthony, Jose Anthony, Jiju Elias Paarel, Roy)
7. Bangalore, 14th K1000 Rally (Indian category) Kamlesh Patel, KD Madan, 118 NE.
8. Great Himalayan Rally (Nikhil Taneja/ Sandeep Lal) Team MRF
8. Great Desert Rally (Motorycycles), Jagat Nanjappa/ Anita Nanjappa, Team MRF
9?. Hyderabad, Dec ??; 5th Charminar Challenge ??
Rallies in 1987* (Champions: N Leelakrishnan, CV Jayakumar)
- Rally de Endurance, July 1987, Vicky Bharat Chandhok and Manoj Dalal.
- Cochin, 24-25 July 1987, 5th 1000-km Popular Rally,
- Bangalore, August 1987, Karnataka 1000, Kamlesh Patel/ KD Madan, Team MRF.
- Madras, September 1987, 23th South India Rally, MS Zachariah/ Jagdish Bhatia, Team MRF.
- Coimbatore, October 1987, Scissors Action Rally, Subash Chandra
- ???, November 1987, Great Himalayan Rally, Nikhil Taneja/ Manjeev Singh Bhalla, Team MRF. (To be confirmed if this round is part of National championship)
- Chikmagalur, Nov 1987, Coffee 500, N Leelakrishnan/CV Jayakumar.
- Hyderabad, December 1987, 4th Charminar Challenge, N Leelakrishnan/CV Jayakumar.
*Status of National Championship was not confirmed in 1988
ends/17apr2020/last updated 2mar2021 11pm; to be updated…
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Lindholm expects `lots and lots of learning’ in the ERC
Emil Lindholm expects to learn plenty in this season’s FIA European Rally Championship.
The 23-year-old Finn will represent Team MRF Tyres in ERC1 Junior during what will be his first European campaign.
“Progression is the main thing for us, but the level in the ERC is high, the rallies are completely new for me so there will be lots and lots of learning,” said Lindholm. “I still want to do the world championship and this is a good step forward.”
Lindholm will compete in a Rally2-specification ŠKODA Fabia with a four-event programme planned.
Emil Lindholm. Photo FIAerc.com -
The 2020 MotoGP season will be a surprise for everybody: Petrucci
Paris, 2 April 2020: While the wait continues for the 2020 MotoGP World Championship to start, the Ducati Team rider revealed in this interview how he is spending the days and what he expects from the new season.
The 2020 MotoGP Season was supposed to begin nearly one month ago in Qatar for the Ducati Team, where just a few weeks earlier they had completed the last MotoGP pre-season test. Unfortunately, at the same time in Europe, the Covid-19 started to spread, stopping not just the sporting world but also whole countries, like Italy, which was one of the worst-affected nations by the virus.
A mandatory isolation period has been introduced by the Italian Government to stop the spread of the virus, and of course, also Danilo Petrucci is respecting the measure in his house in Terni. “For sure spending so much time at home, staying away from our friends is not the ideal situation. But at this time it is the only way that we have to solve this problem together. By staying at home following the instructions that are given us by the Government, we can help each other. The situation is difficult, but it can only improve if we endure it a little bit more”.
File photo of Danilo Petrucci from Ducati. The Ducati rider also explained how he is spending these days at home: “I am trying to use this time to solve some physical issues, like the problem I had at my shoulder last year in Valencia and some that I have in a leg. I am doing some physiotherapy at home, some light training and I am also focusing on my diet”.
Of course, during these days of lockdown, Petrucci doesn’t have the chance to train on a bike, and he declared that what he is missing the most is doing motocross with his teammate Andrea Dovizioso. “I hear Andrea nearly every day, and we text each other a lot. In these days, I miss the most doing motocross with him and training together, also because right now I can’t really ride anything!”
The last time the Ducati riders were able to sit on the Desmosedici GP20 bikes was more than a month ago, during the final winter test that was held in Qatar from 22nd-24th February 2020: “I was delighted with the test at Losail. I think I was one of the few riders that covered the whole distance in the race simulation by completing 22 laps. The bike is an evolution of the previous year, but the big difference now is the tyres. We worked a lot on trying to adjust the bike setup and the riding style”.
Speaking about the future, Petrucci declared his goals for 2020 and his expectations from the championship, now that the new calendar has tightened up towards the end of the season: “This is my second year with the Ducati Team, and I am proud of it. This year I would like to improve my performance compared to last season. In 2019 I got my first win in MotoGP, and I was able to fight for the third position in the standings until there were two races to go. This year I want to fight for that placement during the whole championship. For sure, this season will be a surprise for everybody. We are not used to such an intense programme! The calendar is extremely tight, especially in the last months, so we need to do a good mental and physical preparation and try to rest now because then we won’t have time. Honestly, I can’t wait to face this demanding calendar!”
Watch the whole interview on the Ducati Corse Instagram and Twitter accounts.
